Other then getting urinary tract infections from being in deep ketosis and not drinking much water - No.

It is so great to hear from people -- both in this thread and in others -- who have been doing this for a while and who are practically unanimous in listing improvements in their health that they attribute to low-carb eating. It's a resolve-strengthener (along with those before-and-after pictures and the weight-loss stats) for those of us who still have a long, long road a-winding before us!

Controlled-carb eating just makes so much sense. I'm embarrassed to admit that my undergraduate degree was in anthropology, with an interest in paleo diets as they related to present-day aboriginal cultures, but I never noticed the disconnect between our "civilized" diet and that of the hunter-gatherer (broadly generalized). Instead, I followed our cultural herd thinking into the low-fat diet (such wasted years!).

My prior problems: frequent headaches, heartburn, unwarranted fatigue, back pain.

My current problems: I wake up too early (5:30 or so) and I'm just too darn ready to leap out of bed. Nothing else to speak of.

Maybe all teenagers should be put on low-carb diets and we'd have happy, energetic teens bouncing around at 6 in the morning?

last spring a year ago, I had a complete, and I mean complete, physical.

Among many other tests, screenings, etc. the lab took nine vials of blood to test for everything from cancer to cholesterol. The lab tech told me my blood, which was almost purple, was incredibly rich in iron, the best she had seen in a while.

I passed every test, not just the blood tests, with flying colours! Our doctor even told us that Atkins was a really good diet, approved of my DH and I being on it.

DH also had a complete check-up, he was healthy as a horse as well.

this WOE has been wonderful for us both, can't stress that enough!

I've been low carbing on and off since August 2001, and I can honestly say that I feel so much better and never have any health issues as such when I'm low carbing

Prior to low carbing I suffered from irregular periods, migraines, IBS, indigestion, constipation and general yukkiness - and it's been a long time since I've experienced any of these

I've been LCing for 1-1/2 years now. I had my Lipids, etc...checked last Fall and my Cholesterol was 175, my Triglycerides were 96, my Blood Sugar was 84, my Electrolytes were all well within the Normal Ranges, and my Kidneys/Liver were functioning just fine. I've only been to the doctor, not including to have my Lipids checked once since going LC and that was for an Earache. It turned out my ear was a bit clogged up [nothing to do with my diet.] I haven't contracted any Bacterial or Viral diseases since going LC.

I remember really well the last time I contracted a Virus...because it was very bad. It was shortly before I went LC. It hit me really hard, really fast. I was outside in the sun and I just became very dehydrated and tired very fast. I tried drinking 4 Pepsis, but they only made it worse. Someone gave me some Fruit Juice [saying that it would make me feel better] and that helped for maybe 5 minutes, after which I felt even worse than before. I stopped twice at 7-11 on the way home to get Slurpees, thinking they'd help. Of course...1/3 pound [that is NOT an exageration, 1 Slurpee really does have 150g or 1/3 pound of Sugar, most likely HFCS] of Corn Syrup didn't help. In fact, I was practically about to pass out after I drank 'em.

I got back to the house, had several more Pepsis, and simply passed out in Bed. When I woke up, I still felt like shit. I went to the doctor, and it turned out to be viral...I was in bed for a week or two. Fortunately/Unfortunately, depending on how you look at it...I was on vacation [visiting family] at the time.

I was looking at the Doctor's charts to get my weights when I went to get my Lipids checked, and I noticed something interesting. It may just be a coincidence, but when I did my first Low-Fat Diet (Dec. 20, 1996 [190 lbs] to June 20, 1997 [168 lbs,]) I was in the Doctor's Office for something-or-the other every few weeks:

01/04/1997 -- 183.5
01/25/1997 -- 178.0
02/04/1997 -- 179.0
03/25/1997 -- 176.0
04/09/1997 -- 177.5
05/07/1997 -- 177.0

After going off the diet, I was in and out of the Doctor's office every few weeks for several months, before it trailed off to about once every few months. Don't know what that means, though:

08/20/1997 -- 181.0
09/02/1997 -- 185.5
10/11/1997 -- 187.0
11/01/1997 -- 189.0
12/12/1997 -- 196.5
01/28/1998 -- 199.0
03/09/1998 -- 202.0
06/02/1998 -- 214.0
07/13/1998 -- 224.0
09/15/1998 -- 212.0 (Diet #2 ???)
12/12/1998 -- 245.0
06/09/1999 -- 259.0
06/24/1999 -- 265.0
08/02/1999 -- 270.0
10/24/1999 -- 294.0
11/20/1999 -- 270.0 (Diet #3 ???)
02/11/2000 -- 284.0
03/19/2000 -- 280.5 (Diet #4 ???)
...
07/09/2002 -- 315.0 (This is when the event I described above happened)
...
12/2002 -- WENT ON ATKINS
...
08/xx/2003 -- 239.0 (This is when I had my lipids checked)

A few times between 1999 and Now, I visited different Doctors [either in Pensacola where I'm in College or down near where I grew up if I was visiting family,] so I wouldn't have a record of all the times I was in the Doctor's office since 2000. That 2 year gap [2000 to 2002,] does not mean I didn't get sick during that time. I just didn't see my regular doctor.

i haven't read the rest of this thread but dana carpender has been a low carber for 10 years... i'm sure people know her site - www.holdthetoast.com

I've been low carb since late august 2003 and I've never felt better. I'd be eating low carb even if there werent any weight loss benefits just because of the improvement in my health.

Since low carbing I have tons more energy, I used to nap all the time and was constantly tired. My allergies have also greatly improved. I used to have constant sick/unproductive days due to feeling like complete crap from my allergies.. and now those days are very few and far between. My food allergies have also improved. I was very very allergic to dairy products and now I find that I have some leeway with those.. I can eat the expensive kind of mozzerella, reg. american cheese, LC ice creams of all types, and LC yogurt all with no problems whatsoever. Butter still bothers me, as do moderate amounts of other types of cheeses, but this is still a great improvement on how it used to be.

I have been LC for 1 month. I agree with Doreen T. I have no afternoon lags and I just feel better. I deal with chronic depression and thats even improved. I'm satisfied so far.

Clean bill of Health is what the doctor gave me.

Haven't been sick since starting the low carb way of eating in August 2002. Last time I had a medical checkup my cholesterol was lower.

January will mark my 5 year anniversary. I have never felt better. Still free of 5 prescription medications I was taking in my pre-low carb days. That's a side effect that pays monthly dividends.

It's been a month for me and I'm feeling better than I did before.

I have been doing this since June 04 and have had great results healthwise. I have lowered my cholesterol from 315 (last checked in 02) to 230 and have been taken off my bp meds, have alot more energy, wake up with no problem in the morning, and have lost 20 lbs. Even if I don't lose anymore weight (hope I do my health benefits are awesome on this WOE!!

I've been LCing since 1999, which makes it 5 glorious years. Not one health problem. Tons of health improvements.

No more estrogen supplements for me. No more 3 BP meds a day just to keep me near borderline. I've now been BP med free since 2/14/04 and have beautiful pressure that is in the 105/64 with a resting pulse of high 50's to low 60's. To be on PB meds for 15 years and manage to be totally and completely independent of it in just 7 short months is phenomenal. No more purple pill for acid reflux anymore either.

I so resent the daylights out of having to supplement up the yazoo in order to meet all my nutritional needs, but can find absolutely no ill effect from having to do so. I'm so way ahead of the game.